Extinguisher for car ash tray



July 13, 1965 B. E. Fox

EXTINGUISHER FOR CAR AYSH TRAY Filed Dec. 2, 1964 INV ENT OR 5M Y E. F/Y

L//Z 0 5 2 Z www l a .v 2 Um .06 I 3 I u N1, l l 3 Z 1v ..9`l. M 2 .6 l l 1 J United States Patent O 3,194,247 EXTINGUISHER FOR CAR ASH TRAY Billy E. Fox, 1924 Woodstock Way, Sacramento, Calif. Filed Dec. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 415,283 7 Claims. (Cl. 131-237) This is a continuation in part of application Serial No. 184,843, tiled April 3, 1962, now abandoned.

The invention relates to an extinguisher for a car ash tray, and has as its primary object the provision of a means associated with a conventionally mounted car ash tray whereby upon opening the ash tray part way and placing a cigarette therein closure of the ash tray automatically extinguishes the cigarette butt, thus precluding the burning of the butt in the tray, and resultant smoke in the vehicle.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character which may be readily associated with any conventional vehicle ash tray, and which will serve, by means of a movable plate, automatically operable by closure of the ash tray to compress the butt between the plate and the front of the ash tray, thus effectively extinguishing the same.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character wherein after the butt is crushed to extinguish the same, the pressure on the plate is automatically relieved by the movement of the ash tray from its normal vertical position within the vertical dash panel of the automobile to a full open position, and the extinguished butt falls upon a rearwardly downwardly sloping plate and then from the plate to the bottom of the ash tray, so that when the tray -is closed and then reopened, the space for extinguishing the cigarette is emptied and readily available for the provision of a further cigarette.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of such a device which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and eiiicient in operation, and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble as well as to applyto existing ash trays.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out as the description of the invention proceeds and shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE l is a front plan view, partially broken away, of a vehicle ash tray embodying the extinguisher of the instant invention in fully closed position, certain concealed parts being indicated by dotted lines, and a fragmentary portion of the dashboard mounting of the ash tray being indicated.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2--2 yof FIGURE 1 as viewed in the downward direction indicated by the arrows.

vFIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows, a position of maximum opening being indicated in dotted lines; and

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 showing a position of partial opening.

31 to accommodate pivots 11.

The ash tray when in use is rotated between the closed position shown in full lines in FIGURE 3 completely contained within the dashboard, through the cigarette butt receiving partially open position shown in FIGURE 4, to

lCC

the maximum open and butt discharging position shown in dotted lines of FIGURE 3.

The ash tray includes the usual inclined bottom p0rtion 14, and front wall 15, as well as relatively straight rear wall 16, and an open top 17, the arrangement being such that when rotated counterclockwise about the first pivots 11 to the position shown in full lines in FIGURE 3, the ash tray is completely contained within the recess in the dashboard and the front wall 15 is substantially iiush with the remainder of the panel.

The extinguishing device of the instant invention comprises a flat wall clearing heavy plate 20, which is provided on the bottom thereof with aligned apertured lugs 21 through which extend a pivot rod 22 which is journaled about midheight of the sides 23, as indicated at 24 in FIGURE 1. Plate 20 thus has major and minor area portions bounded by 22. The front plate edge, on the minor area portion, is provided with a curved end stop finger 25, the purpose of which will be more fully described hereinafter.

A pendant hook shaped resetting or repositioning stiff spring arm 26 has a top bent end portion 28 which is journaled upon pin 27. Pin 27 is held close to the horizontal Wall 29 of the ash tray containing recess. The arm 26 in one position (FIGURE 3 4full line showing) extends straight down to a point well below the pivot 22 of plate 20, and terminates, after a kink, in an elongated and curved lower portion 30 which is convex with respect to front wall 15.

The stop iinger 25 of plate 2t) is directly in line with end portion 30 of arm 26, as seen in the front view. The iinger 25 is also above end portion 30 of arm 26, as seen in the solid line showing in the sectional elevation view.

In the use and operation of the device, with the ash tray in closed position, as shown in full lines of FIGURE l, a previously crushed cigarette butt may be present between vertical plate 20 and vertical front wall 15. As the device is opened or pulled outward to the dotted line position of FIGURE 3, however, the arm 26, being xedly top pivoted at 27 and being located between heavy plate 20 and front wall 15, is allowed to swing counterclockwise as the front wall moves away from the vertical. Pivot 22 simultaneously arcuately moves rightward about 11 thus compelling the base of 26 to keep contact with 15. As arm 26 is now inclined from the vertical, plate 20 is forced out of vertical, and as the center of gravity of plate 20 is always to the left of the pivot 22 (FIG- URES 3 and 4) the plate by its own weight starts to swing counterclockwise. Simultaneously the right end 20a of plate 20 engages the curved portion of arm 26 and keeps the arm bottom in contact with the front wall 15.

In the operative position of FIGURE 4, a Ifresher cigarette butt may be inserted into the open top 17 of the tray, and the butt will be retained in the V between plate 2t) `and wall 41.5. To crush all such material the tray may be .swung back to theclosed position (solid line showing in FIGURE 3), and to discharge all such material to the bottom 4of the tray, the tray may be swung down to the maximum open discharge position (dashed line showing in FIGURE 3 )l In this maximum open discharge position, the plate 2t) slopes downwardly towards the back I16- and bottom 14 of the ash tray. In -this position, ystop finger 25 rests against the front wall 15 and the curved end 3i) of arm 26 engages both wall 15 and the bottom front portion of stop member 25.

After discharging, the trlay may be moved inwardly towards closed position The upwardly moving front wall 15 then contacts the curve 30 of .the arm 26 and pushes 30 leftwardly (dashed. structure of FIGURE 3), whereupon the opposite or left side or toe of the bottom of this -arm 26 will engage .the stop 2S under the plate 20 and move the extinguishing plate kclockwise (FIGURES) unti l the plate :slopes down forwardly instead of rearwardly.k Contact between stop member and arm isjlost at this lat-Y ter position,` but-the rightkor Asrngall 'lever portion 20a of: Y

the plate is V'then ycontacting the curve ofthe arm.in.-ani f acute angle relationshiplGURElt).

At this position, as indicated above, a cigarette butt can` be fed'through the yopen top Zlrto between -front wallV y andrextinguishing -pl-ate 29. Y n Continued closing movement of the tray will force the small lever portion a of:V the .plate downwardlythus causing the plate to approach a vertical position.

Y The plate 2.0 next? contacts the arm- 26 at the lower` ex tremity eof its `straight portionand the ,beginning of they curved portion, and upon vfurthertray closing movement the straight portion of thearm slides downwardly past the Vlevel of the plate pivotonto the shortlever portion of the plate. t tact of front wall and arm bottom maintains .this contact Y' as the front Wall and plate approach vertical' parallelism,

A'l`l1e'springiness of the armrand continuing con,-

wherein they are closely adjacent and arecapable of com-YV 'pressing portions of cigarette butts priorly placed there.

between.y n

The lash vtray removably slides into the recessV inthe dashboard Vin any conventional manner (such as by'sliding 11 along grooves 31), so that the-tray maybe removed tor' emptying as necessary. The 'arm 25 may, be ,raised i completely freeof the tray when the Atray is pulled outand down at the sametirnearm 26 is raised, thus :allowingV the tray to bev emptied. At all other times the. arm ,26 hangs:

freely from wall 290i thel'containing recess.

From ,thea foregoing" it will now be seen .that there -is hereinprovided an improved extinguisher for cigarette` butts adapted particularly for usewithmotor vehicle ash Vtrays ofthe pivotal variety, which accomplishes all the:

objects of this invention, yand-others,including manyad vantagesv of Vgreat practical utility.

VAs manyernbodirnents may be made oi this inventive c0nceptand as, many modifications 1may, be made inthe i embodimenthereinbefore shown 1and described, it is tob'e ,understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted mere- Y ly as illustrative, and not in alimiting sense n I claim:

`1..v (l) In,eombinationwith.ayehicle ashtray pivotally. Y

mounted about aixedhorizontal axis in a recess in(l Y a-vehicle dashboard v Y (2)"s-aid ,tray having an open top, a -front Wall, and 'a pairof parallel lside walls perpendicular tosaid front wall, t (3) an extinguishing plate within front wall, `and pivoted about a transversey horizontal axis, allpoints ofthe latter axis being at a :const-ant perpendicular distance from Isaidfront wallVV and above said horizontal recess axis,

- (4) said extinguishing plateibeing movable to a rstrverf t ticalposition parallel to andladj-acent saidfront wall in closed tray position for {cru-Shing -outsa cigarette said tray and near said butt, andalso movable to ya second `position more remote from said front wall and inclineddownward-` 602i:

ly and away therefromlto dump the butt, l,

(5 )Y means vfor moving said plate int-o lthe `dumping `di;v

rectionupon opening said tray a maximum amount,-

(6) stop means projecting from one side of said plate, n 2

for limitin-g-the movement thereof in thedumpingdily rectioh by cont-act -ofv the stop means with saidvfront YV(77) and pend-ant arm 'means .for pressing against said n plate Ystop vmeans andV then against the edge kof saidY Y plate `nearer `said front wall, to pivotV the plate rfrom Vthe dumpingposition towards a compressing position in cooperation with the front wall as the-tray pivots Y l about saidxed horizontal axis towardsa closed posiftionl Y V2. TheV structure of claimY 1 whereinV said pendantarm.' I Y ismOuntedjatitstop .in said Vrecess above thetrayfgso as to swing about a horizont-alV axis 5 adjacent the` ifront'otthez recess, and the arm-beinglocatedV closely behind'the'closed position .of the front wall 'and Ypartly iin contacting ad- 3. (l) yIn4 combinationwith a vehicle' carried cigarette ashtray, pivotallymounted about a'rirst horizontal lower waxis means in a Vflattopped recess in: a'ivehicledashl. 'n board, i"the latter, possessing ya, verticallyiriclined upper r `face, the .trayvhaving angopentopya closed bottomwall,

a vfron-t wall; a v'rear wall {parallel tothe .frontwall andVV a pair of parallel sidewalls, Vthelatter!p airlof Avvallsfexjtending perpendicularly-Yro-m said front Wall, v

. Y clearance. with respectgto 'said iront, back and 4Vside wallsf'and 'fof )such width top whenthe tray is closed; n

(3) a secondjhori'zontalaxis pivotnieanson one. face Y Y of :said plate, near Vthe jplate; edgeg'closest tosaid front wall" of said v 'trayi thus dividingfthetpiate finto ay major.v area: .portionjand ai minor area portion, ,Y

said second :piy-ot means passin-gfat itsfendsjthrough a Ysubstantiallymidheight portion ,of each Y,side wal-l'. Y

andrbeing: parallelto said fronftwall,

. (4)" ja .hook shaped 'pendant'arm- ,means pivotallytj Aser l Y `cured to `the'jat top structurer..providingthey recess:

' `and,rin closed tray -posijtiomcontact-ing ibya Vstraighltl portion both the :minor and major:Y areaportionsV ofy Vsaid plate, .and also contactingtby ailnverrnostfportion thereof located `mostly below Vthe"-vertical plate,

thejadjacent verticaltrontjwall, when the latteris"V V,(5)1'ywherebypsaijdnplate:isjiurgedto .retainlsaid:1Y Y cal position; and to compress cigarettelmaterial in-s i V`serre-d betweenfsa'id plate landisaidirifrontswall. 4.r-(1) .The :struct-ure ofV claim 3 wherein,

' (2)"#said1y extinguishing plate'posseseskv a :Stop finger means extending outwardlyfa'way -froi'nthere-arr-of; Y said plate vand Vdirectly, adjacentsaidVV second pivot t meansof such length that whenl the' plate has been; Y lowered Vtroni Yvertical to a-"backward )and downward slopingrdischarge position -iby' tray frrovement from; closed *to Ymaximum lopen -positiomfthecurvedf'end Y Vof the stopdnger-contacts theginsidelof Vthe front; l

' wall ofthe tray, and theV edge` portion of. the` plate adjacent said minorarea" portionis'spacedr-awayl from the 'insideot the front wallY ofrtjhe; tray.

posi-tion n (12 )j fthe. lowermost y(3)j'whereby.:uponclosing-irio-vemeipoftheftnaplthe y lower curvedportionsof theY kar-m is forced Vtowards jf the stop tingerythus raisingy the' plateto a positionfV in whichit is sloping downwardly` andfrontwardly;

6. (Y1) 4lThe?Y struct-ure of claim 5 itflierein f v(2) ffthe width of thefminor areaportion ont`Y the plate W ,l Y

' armvissuohr thatilupon oontinuedfcl'osing movement of theatra'y, thefplate en'dvrmostdisitant-from thegarrn: i

`asy th trayjapproachesfa .vertical continues; Vto riseposition,`

.(2)1 `ain-extinguishing.pl-ate Within said tray of'suchf rectangular size `and shapeuas Ytobe.movable withl andicnrved portion of the'p'endant:Y arm is shaped sothatiromits upperiportiori down-Vv p Y. ward it iirst'is clearof thelower edge ofthe '-rninor'V area Npor-tion of ,the plate and the fnontfwall, :then

' A at Va Ylower portionfthegcurve contacts onlythe inf.

Y .side of the front wallpandfiinal'ly at a .lowe'stipo're Y Ytion Vnot the Vcurve Vthe arm; end tcontactstheV ,stopf (3) and finally as the fron-t of the tray is vertical and 'the tray is closed, the plate is forced into a vertical position with a space between itself and the inside of the tray whereby material therebetween is sub- (7) whereby upon movement of the tray from closed 6 tac-ts the front wall at which position the plate is sloping downwardly and toward the back wall to discharge debris into the ash tray, (8) the pendant arm during this counterclockwise ject -to a crushing pressure. v 5 motion of the plate, also performing a counter- 7. (l) lIn combination with a vehicle ash tray pivot-y clockwise motion of lesser angular extent as comally mounted .at a lower location within a lower pontion Ipared to the plate, since the lower portion of the of a at top recess in a vehicle dashboard, arm is guided between said one plate edge and the (2) said tray having an open top, a planar uniform front wall .of the tray,

height transverse front wail, a back wall substan- 10 (9) :and whereby upon moving the tray from discharge tially parallel to the front wall having a uniform position towards closed position, the upward motop edge at a lower level than that of the front wall, tion of the front wall causes contact with the curve the front wall in closed tray position extending verof the pendant arm thus originating a clockwise tical-ly from adjacent the top of the recess to near motion of said arm, resulting in continuing contact the level of said pivotal mounting, between the end of the a-rm and the stop member (3) a pendant arm spaced slightly inwardly from the under the extinguishing plate and causing a conseinside of said front wall and freely pivoted at its quent clockwise movement of said plate to above a top adjacent to the flat top of the recess to move horizontal position, about a horizontal transverse axis par-allel to said (10) lduring further closing movement of the tray, the fron-t wall, end of the pendant arm escapes below and out of (4) said pendant arm in closed tray position extendcontact with the stop .nger but at this phase of ing straight downward-ly a certain distance, then movement said one end of said plate nearer the abruptly bent towards the front wal-l, and then curved ffront wall engages the curve yof the arrn at an acute reversely at its bottom in an arc, such that a conangle and this engagement with further clockwise vex portion of the arcuate bot-tom abu-ts the front arm movement raising the plate to nearly vertical wall iand a terminal portion is directed away from position, such that the plate and front wall are in said front wall, cigarette but-t receiving positions,

(5) `an extinguishing plate pivo'tally mounted in the (11) and upon final closing movement of the tray tray on a transverse horizontal axis pivot rod near from cigarette butt receiving positions to fully closed one edge and on a side of the plate more distant position, the abrupt bend of the pendant arm confrom the front wall, said extinguish-ing plate, in t-acts the said nearer edge of the plate and moves closed tray position, being held vertically upright 'downwardly t-herealong to position the pla-te in conwith said one edge ydirected downwardly by cont-act tinuing greater proximity to a vertical position to with the lower portion `of said straight part of said an exactly vertical simultaneous alignment of plate pendant arm, and front wall at closed position of the tray, where- (6) ya curved end stop finger projecting from the side by to compress a cigarette 'butt placed priorly thereof the plate remote from the front wall in closed between. tray position and located adjacent the plate pivot rod, the stop finger defining a plane in transverse References Cited by the Examiner alignment with said pendant arm, 40 UNITED STATES PATENTS towards open position, the top of said pendant arm 'Iugllr'n-- over-balances .sald extlnguishlng plate from a v-er- 21,760,497 8/56 Oampbeu 13%237 tical position causing the plate to move its top edge towards the back wall, this movement appearing as counterclockwise from one transverse observation position, this counterclockwise motion continu-v ing as the t-ray is opened until said stop finger con- SAMUEL KOKEN, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH S. REICH, Examiner. 

1. (1) IN COMBINATION WITH A VEHICLE ASH TRAY PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ABOUT A FIXED HORIZONTAL AXIS IN A RECESS IN A VEHICLE DASHBOARD, (2) SAID TRAY HAVING AN OPEN TOP, A FRONT WALL, AND A PAIR OF PARALLEL SIDE WALLS PERPENDICULAR TO SAID FRONT WALL, (3) AN EXTINGUISHING PLATE WITHIN SAID TRAY AND NEAR SAID FRONT WALL, AND PIVOTED ABOUT A TRANSVERSE HORIZONTAL AXIS, ALL POINTS OF THE LATTER AXIS BEING AT A CONSTANT PERPENDICULAR DISTANCE FROM SAID FRONT WALL AND ABOVE SAID HORIZONTAL RECESS AXIS, (4) SAID EXTINGUISHING PLATE BEING MOVABLE TO A FIRST VERTICAL POSITION PARALLEL TO AND ADJACENT SAID FRONT WALL IN CLOSED TRAY POSITION FOR CRUSHING OUT A CIGARETTE BUTT, AND ALSO MOVABLE TO A SECOND POSITION MOVE REMOTE FROM SAID FRONT WALL AND INCLINED DOWNWARDLY AND AWAY THEREFROM TO DUMP THE BUTT, (5) MEANS FOR MOVING SAID PLATE INTO THE DUMPING DIRECTION UPON OPENING SAID TRAY A MAXIMUM AMOUNT, (6) STOP MEANS PROJECTING FROM ONE SIDE OF SAID PLATE, FOR LIMITING THE MOVEMENT THEREOF IN THE DUMPING DIRECTION BY CONTACT OF THE STOP MEANS WITH SAID FRONT WALL, (7) AND PENDANT ARM MEANS FOR PRESSING AGAINST SAID PLATE STOP MEANS AND THEN AGAINST THE EDGE OF SAID PLATE NEARER SAID FRONT WALL, TO PIVOT THE PLATE FROM THE DUMPING POSITION TOWARDS A COMPRESSING POSITION IN COOPERATION WITH THE FRONT WALL AS THE TRAY PIVOTS ABOUT SAID FIXED HORIZONTAL AXIS TOWARDS A CLOSED POSITION. 